THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

BIBLE STUDY
THE DEITY OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST
(i.e. , equality with God)
MGH
11/30/2011
The true Church has always believed in the absolute deity of the Lord Jesus
Christ without any reservations. Denial or disqualification of this doctrine
undermines completely the redemptive value of Christ's death on the Cross. As
stated by Athanasius in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicea: "If Christ be not God,
He cannot be our - Savior!"
THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
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I. THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
1A. HIS DIVINE TITLES
1B. GOD
Jesus is called "God" (Isa. 9:6; Jn. 1:1, 18 Gk.; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; I
Thess. 4:14; Heb. 1:8; I Jn. 5:20). Our Greek text states He is God (Eph.
5:5; II Thess. 1:12; Tit. 2:13; II Pt. 1:1). He exists in "the form of God (Phil.
2:6); He is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15) and He is "the
express image of His (God's) Being" (Heb. 1:3).
2B. LORD
The Old Testament teaches us that Jesus is identified as the
LORD (Yahweh or Jehovah), the personal name of God.
Compare verses:
(Lk. 1:68 with Ps. 106:48) (Lk. 3:4-6 with Isa. 40:3-4)
(I Cor. 1:30 with Jer. 23:5-6) (Rev. 1:7 with Zech. 12:1, 10)
(Eph. 4:8-10 with Ps. 68:4) (Heb. 1:10-12 with Ps. 102:12)
(Jn. 12:37-41 with Isa. 6:5,25-27)
In addition, review: Lk. 2:11; Acts 10:36; Phil. 2:11; I Thess. 4:15-16; I
Tim. 6:14-15; 2 Pet. 3:2 and Rev. 19:6).
3B. The WORD
As the Word (Jn. 1:1, 14; Rev. 19:13), the Son is the expression
of what God is. Before His incarnation (His coming to earth and
taking on Himself a human nature), He expressed certain qualities of
God's nature by His creative work (Ps. 19:1; Jn. 1:1-3), as well as the
words (it seems that He gave the Old Testament revelation as well
as the New; cp. Rev. 1:1). By His incarnation He manifested the
Father by His words and actions (Jn. 1:14, 18; 5:19; 12 :49-50; 14:8-
11). Only one who is God can fully reveal God (Mt. 11:27; Heb. 1:3;
Col. 1:15).
4B. SON OF GOD
This title is used of angels (Job 1:6) and men (Rom. 8:14). But
when it is used of Jesus, it expresses His eternal relationship to and
equality with God the Father. Observe that He was the Son of God
before His incarnation (Ps. 2:7; Gal. 4:4). The Jews regarded this
designation to be a title of deity (Jn. 5:17-18; 10:31-36).
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1C. He is the FIRST BEGOTTON
This designation marks His priority in time or rank, as in the
following examples:
(a) He is prior to and ranking above all creation (Col. 1:15).
Here a genitive of reference is used, not a genitive of
identification!!
(b) He is Mary's firstborn son, being born before her other
children(Mt. 1:25; Lk. 2:7).
(c) He is the first to rise from the dead, never to die again
(Col.1:18; Rev. 1:5).
(d) He is the first member of the new humanity, as its pattern
and head, whose human likeness all the redeemed will
share (Rom. 8:29; I Jn. 3:2).
2C. He is the ONLY BEGOTTON
This designation (Jn. 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; I Jn. 4:9)
emphasizes the uniqueness of the Son in His relation to God
the Father. As the only Offspring of the Father, Jesus is the
Only Begotten in a sense that no-one else is: He is eternally
the Son and possesses the divine essence in common with the
Father. (Compare Lk. 7:12; 8:42; 9:38; Heb. 11:17).
2A. HIS ETERNAL PREEXISTENCE
There are many passages that speak of the Son's existence before
His incarnation (Jn. 1:1, 14, 30; 6:33, 38; Gal. 4:4; Heb'. 10:5). However, it is a
fact of His eternal preexistence which underscores His deity. This stated
emphatically in Micah 5:2 and is implied in Isaiah 9:6 ("Father of eternity");
John 1:1; Col. 1:16-27; Rev. 1:11 and John 17:5.
3A. HIS DIVINE ATTRIBUTES
Seeing that in Jesus "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"
(Col. 2:9) and "who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be
equal with God" (Phil. 2:6), "who is the image of the invisible God" (Col.
1:15) and "who is the express image of His Being" (Heb. 1:3),to possess all
the attributes of God. They are:
(a)Eternity (Mic. 5:2; Jn. 1:1; Rev. 1:11);
(b)Omnipresence (Mt. 28:20; Jn. 3:13; Col. 1:27);
(c)Omnipotence (Jn. 1:1-3; I Cor. 1:24; Heb. 1:3);
(d)Omniscience (Jn. 2:24-25; 6:64; Col. 2:3);
(e)Veracity, being faithful (reliable) and genuine (real) and truthful
(Rev. 19:11; 3:14; Jn. 1:14, 18; 14:6; Eph. 4:21)
(f)Righteousness (II Tim. 4:8; Acts 3:14; 22:14; I Jn. 2:1);
(g)Goodness (Acts 10:38); Immutability (Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8);
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(h)Holiness, transcending all things (Isa. 6:1-3; Jn. 12:41);also being
sinless and pure (I Jn. 3:3;, 5; Heb. 7:26);
(i)Love (Jn. 13:1, 34; 15:9; Rev. 1:5)
(j)Grace (II Cor. 8:9; Jn. 1:14)
(k)Mercy (I Tim. 1:12-16; Heb. 2:17)
(l)Longsuffering (I Pet. 2:18-24; Rev. 1:9)
(m)Sovereignty (Acts 10:36)
4A. HIS DIVINE WORKS
Being the Messiah, Jesus' works are such that only One who is God
as well as man could do (Jn. 5:19-20):
1B. His CREATING all things
Acting with the other Members of the Godhead, the Son was the
creative Agent (I Cor. 8:6; Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16).
2B. His SUSTAINING all things
He not only "holds together" all things (Col. 1:17), but also "upholds
all things" (Heb. 1:3).
3B. His RECEIVING Worship
The Lord Jesus receives worship (Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 5:11-13; Mt. 8:2;
28:9, 17; Jn. 5:23). Neither the apostles nor holy angels allowed men to
worship them (Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 22:8-9).
4B. His REVEALING The Father
As the eternal Word the Son revealed the Father by His creative
work (Jn. 1:1-3; Rom. 1:19-20) and His words (Rev. 1:1). As Messiah He
manifested the Father by His actions and words (Jn. 1:14, 5:19; 14:7-
11)as well as revealed the Father to the hearts of people who came to
Him (Mt. 11:27-30).
5B. His FORGIVING SINS
Only God can forgive (cancel the debt of) sin. But this authority
also belongs to the Son (Lk. 5:20-21; 7:47-49), for He is God as well as
the Messiah (Mt. 9:6; cp. Lk. 23:39-43).
6B. His GIVING LIFE
In addition to His divine creative work, as the Messiah Jesus has
power to give life (Jn 5:21-26; 6:32-40). He gave physical life in
reanimations (restorations to temporary physical life; see Jn 11:43-44;
Lk. 7:14-15; 8:54-55). He will give physical life in resurrections
(restorations to permanent physical life; see Jn. 5:28-29; 11:25). He gives
spiritual life to them who receive Him as their Savior (Jn. 5:25, 40; 6:33,
47, 54, 57, 11:26; I Jn. 5:11-12, 20).
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7B. His Exercising JUDGMENT
While this is a part of His Messianic work (Jn. 5:22, 27) only one
who is God can judge the intentions and motivations of people as
well as their overt actions (cp. Rom. 2:2, 6, 11, 16). The Lord will
appraise His people upon His coming for them (II Cor. 5:10; Rev.
22:12). He also will judge earth dwellers after His return to earth (Rev.
19:11-15; Mt. 25:31-46). Furthermore, He will judge the unsaved after
His millennial rule (Rev. 20:11-15; Acts 17:31).
5A. HIS DIVINE CLAIMS
Jesus made claims that would have been most blasphemous if they
were untrue. On the other hand, only One who was God could have said
these things without lying!
1B. He claimed EQUALITY with the Father
He asserted equality in receiving honor (Jn. 5:23), in being the
object of faith (Jn. 14:1); in His words and works (Jn. 14:10, 24); and in
revelation (Jn. 12:45).
2B. He claimed a unique RELATION to the Father
As His revelator (Mt.11:27; His imitator (Jn. 5:17, 19-20); His
indweller (Jn. 14:7-10); His Son (Jn. 10:36). He and the Father are one
(Jn. 10:30).
3B. He claimed to SATISFY man’s deepest needs
(Jn. 6:35; 4:14; 7:37-38; 10:9-10; Mt. 11:28-30)
4B. He claimed to GIVE eternal life and safety to His people
(Jn. 10:27-29; 6:37-40)
II. THE HUMANITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
1A. His CONDESCENSION
The condescension of God the Son refers to His stooping to come
earth, to assume a human nature (this was lower than that of His servants,
the angels), and to live among sinful people (Heb. 2:9).
2A. His INCARNATION
The word incarnation speaks of the initial action and following
condition of assuming a human nature and being embodied in flesh. The
incarnation of God the Son was His taking upon Himself a complete, sinless
human nature (body, soul and spirit), so that everything that can be
asserted of sinless man can be asserted of Him.
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THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
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3A. His SELF-EMPTYING
The Greek text of Philippians 2:7 reads "He emptied Himself" and the
KJV rendered this "made himself of no reputation." On a basic level, this
means He took certain features of deity into His human nature; and with
rare exception, He did not bring into His human experience.
Some of these features of "self-emptying" are these:
(a)As a man He rarely manifested His preincarnate glory (cp. Jn. 17:5).
(b)As a man He did not exercise His inherent divine power. Instead, He
depended on the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. (Lk. 4:1,14,18;
Eph. 1:20-22).
(c)As a man He did not exercise certain divine attributes, such as
omnipresence (Jn. 11:6-7), and omniscience (Mk. 13:32; Jn. 8:26, 28, 40).
(d)As a man He did not exercise independent, divine authority. He was the
Father's servant (slave; cp. Phil. 2:7; Isa. 42:1-7; 49:1-6; 52:13-53:12; Jn.
6:38; 8:28-29).
4A. His CONCEPTION and BIRTH
1B. Its NATURE
Jesus' conception was uniquely and radically different from
all others. It was wholly of the Holy Spirit, who created of Mary's
substance a complete human nature, consisting of body, soul and
spirit (Mt. 26:12; 38; 27:50). Mary did not create Jesus' person.
2B. Its IMPORTANCE
Our Lord's virgin birth was necessary for His saving work (Mt.
1:21). It was necessary for Him to become a man in order that He
might be identified with mankind and experience death, the
penalty for humanity's sins (Heb. 2:9, 14-18). The Lord's virgin birth
made it possible for Him to rule one day from David's throne over
Israel and the world (Mt. 2:2; II Sam. 7:12-17; Lk. 1:32-33).
5A. His HUMANITY
1B. Its REALITY
This is shown by His prenatal development and birth, which
were normal, natural processes (Lk. 2:5-7;cp. 1:57). The Lord also
had a complete human nature: body (Mt. 26:12), soul (Mt. 26:38)
and spirit (Mt. 27:50; Jn. 11:33). The reality of Jesus' humanity was
also manifest in His living an ordinary human life in Nazareth, fulfilling
His domestic, vocational and religious duties (Mt. 13:55-56; Mk. 6:3;
Lk. 4:16).
2B. Its UNIQUENESS
While Jesus possesses a complete human nature as we do, it
differs qualitatively from ours in its being perfect and sinless.
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Concerning the perfection of Jesus' human character (Jn. 1:14). He
never sinned, nor was He a sinner. He never confessed sin, nor did
He ever seek forgiveness (cp. Mt. 3:13-17; 27:4; Lk. 23:47; Jn. 8:46;
19:4, 6, Acts 3:14; Rom. 8:3; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26; I Pet. 1:19;
2:22; I Jn. 3:5).
3B. Its ACTIVITY
A purpose for our Lord's being man is that as Servant He might
carry out the Father's will for mankind.
A summary of this activity:
(a) He presented Himself to Israel for their acceptance or rejection
(Isa. 49:4-7; Lk. 4:42:44; Jn. 1:11). 2)
(b)He gave His life for the atonement of humanity's sins (Mt. 20:28).
(c)He confirmed the divine sentence of condemnation against
God's enemies (Rom. 8: 2; 12:31).
(d)He prepared the apostles for their ministry of establishing
Christianity in the world (Mt. 15:21-18:35; Acts 1:3).
Some of the things He is now doing:
(a)He is building the Church
(b)He is interceding for us at the Father's right hand (Rom. 8:34;
Heb. 7:25).
(c)He is preparing to return to earth and set up His kingdom
(Rev. 19/20).
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